JP2005176063A - Image pickup apparatus having recording function and recording method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image pickup apparatus that reliably performs stereo recording when the image pickup apparatus is in a predetermined posture, and a recording method using the same.
An image pickup apparatus for picking up an image of a subject includes a first sound input unit that inputs sound in monaural and two second sound input units that input sound in stereo. And the second voice input unit are arranged on the same plane, and a straight line connecting the two second voice input units and a straight line connecting the first voice input unit and one of the two second voice input units. And an imaging device characterized by being substantially orthogonal to each other.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention generally relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an imaging apparatus having a recording function. The imaging device of the present invention is suitable for a digital camera or a video camera, for example.

In recent years, the number of digital cameras capable of shooting moving images has increased, and along with this, the number of cameras having a microphone in the main body has increased. Video cameras that can perform stereo recording have become mainstream. There is a problem that only monaural recording can be performed in a digital camera capable of shooting a movie. Further, if the stereo audio input device is simply built in, the audio signal input units are arranged on the vertical line when the user changes the attitude of the electronic device by ± 90 °, and the stereo effect cannot be expected. On the other hand, in the camera-integrated VTR device, when the camera unit rotates, a device that selects a plurality of microphones provided in the VTR unit according to the rotation angle has been proposed. (See Patent Document 1).
JP-A-8-84286

  However, a complicated mechanism of rotating the camera unit is required, and in the case of normal video shooting, there is no need to hold the imaging device in a vertical position, so in an imaging device capable of shooting still images, There is a need for an apparatus and method that enables simple stereo recording considering vertical position shooting.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus that reliably performs stereo recording when the imaging apparatus is in a predetermined posture, and a recording method using the imaging apparatus.

  An imaging apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is an imaging apparatus that captures an image of a subject, and includes a first audio input unit that inputs sound in monaural, and two second audio input units that input sound in stereo. The first and second audio input units are arranged on the same plane, and a straight line connecting the two second audio input units, the first audio input unit, and the two second audio input units It is characterized by being substantially orthogonal to a straight line connecting one of the parts. The imaging apparatus may further include a detection unit that detects an attitude of the imaging device, and a synthesis unit that synthesizes inputs of the two second audio input units according to a detection result of the detection unit. .

  The imaging device may perform stereo recording by the second voice input unit according to a detection unit that detects a posture of the imaging device and a detection result of the detection unit, or may include the first voice input unit. It may further comprise selection means for selecting whether to record in stereo in combination with one of the second audio input units as one channel for stereo recording. The selection means selects, when the detection means detects that the image pickup apparatus is in a normal posture, to make a stereo recording by the second audio input unit, and the image pickup apparatus is in a normal posture. If it is detected that the posture is rotated by approximately 90 °, the first audio input unit may be selected as one channel for stereo recording in combination with one of the second audio input units for stereo recording. Good. When the detection unit detects that the imaging apparatus is in a posture rotated by approximately 90 ° with respect to a normal posture, the detection unit includes a synthesis unit that synthesizes the inputs of the two second audio input units. May be.

  The two second audio input units may be formed in a stereo microphone unit that is detachably attached to the imaging device.

The recording method according to another aspect of the present invention is an imaging apparatus that captures an image of a subject, and includes a first sound input unit that inputs sound in monaural and two second sound input units that input sound in stereo. The first and second voice input units are arranged on the same plane, and a straight line connecting the two second voice input units, the first voice input unit, and the second voice input unit A straight line connecting one of the two is a recording method using an imaging device that is substantially orthogonal to the first step of determining the posture of the imaging device, and the posture of the imaging device determined by the first step To select whether to record in stereo using the second audio input unit or to record in combination with one of the second audio input units using the first audio input unit as one channel for stereo recording. Second step Characterized in that it has and.
Further objects and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus that reliably performs stereo recording when the imaging apparatus is in a predetermined posture, and a recording method using the imaging apparatus.

  Hereinafter, a digital camera 1 as an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the digital camera 1, FIG. 1 (a) shows a normal posture of the digital camera 1, and FIG. 1 (b) is 90 ° counterclockwise from FIG. 1 (a). The posture of the rotated digital camera 1 is shown. In the present embodiment, the horizontal orientation shown in FIG. 1A is the normal posture, but the vertical orientation is also applicable to the normal posture.

  In this figure, 2 is a camera barrel, 3 is a strobe, 4 is a recording start / recording ON / OFF switch, 5 is a monaural microphone, 6 is a stereo microphone channel, and 7 is the other stereo microphone. Is the channel. Since any configuration known in the art can be applied to the lens barrel 2, the strobe 3, the switch 4, and the switch (not shown) for selecting monaural recording and stereo recording, detailed description of the configuration and operation is omitted here. To do. Similarly, illustration and description of other components necessary for imaging processing are also omitted. Note that the imaging apparatus is not limited to a digital camera, and includes a video camera and other electronic devices.

  The microphones 5 to 7 are arranged on the same surface 1a. In the present application, the “same surface” means that the surfaces 1a and 1b and the like that are substantially orthogonal to each other are not included, and even if the surface 1a has some unevenness, it is regarded as the same surface. Further, the straight line connecting the microphones 6 and 7 and the straight line connecting the microphone 5 and the microphone 6 or 7 are substantially orthogonal. The term “substantially orthogonal” means that it is possible to deviate from a completely orthogonal state as long as stereo recording can be achieved, as described later.

  FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the imaging apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging apparatus 1 includes a posture detection unit 10, processing circuits 11 and 13, an A / D conversion unit 12, and a recording unit 14. The posture detection means 10 can detect at least a normal posture of 0 ° and a posture rotated vertically and horizontally from the normal posture. FIG. 2 shows components necessary for stereo recording. Since any configuration known in the art can be applied to the attitude detection means 10, detailed description thereof is omitted here. For example, the attitude detection unit 10 moves in a sealed glass tube formed by bending in an arc shape. Attitude detection means using a method of detecting the position of a mercury ball is known. If the posture detection means 10 is used for other purposes, it can be used together and may not be necessary. In this case, a new space is not required for posture detection, and it is easy to introduce it in a digital camera that is required to be downsized.

  The processing circuit 11 selects the monaural microphone 5 and the stereo microphones 6 and 7 based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means 10. The processing circuit 11 can also synthesize the inputs of the microphones 6 and 7. The A / D conversion unit 12 A / D converts the audio signal input from the selected microphone. The processing circuit 13 converts the signal that has passed through the A / D converter 12 into a predetermined recording format. The recording unit 14 is a built-in memory or a detachable recording medium, and records an audio signal.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the imaging apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the imaging apparatus 1. Recording is started when the recording mode is selected by a switch (not shown) and the switch 4 is set to start recording (steps 102 and 104). Next, it is determined whether or not the selected recording mode is stereo recording (step 106). If monaural recording is selected, recording is performed using the monaural microphone 5 (step 108).

  Next, if the step 106 determines that the stereo recording is selected, the processing circuit 11 acquires the posture information from the posture detection means 10 and determines whether the posture is the normal posture (step 110). If the processing circuit 11 determines that the normal posture shown in FIG. 1A is selected, the microphones 6 and 7 are selected and stereo recording is performed (step 112). At this time, since the microphones 6 and 7 have directivity on the left and right, good stereo recording is realized. Such stereo recording ends when the recording end is operated by the switch 4 (step 114). On the other hand, the posture detection means 10 continuously monitors the posture of the digital camera 1 and returns to step 110 if there is a posture change during recording (step 116).

  When the processing circuit 11 determines that the posture of FIG. 1 (a) is changed to the posture of FIG. 1 (b) during recording, or the posture is changed to the posture of FIG. 1 (b) in step 110, the processing circuit 11 The monaural microphone 5 is set as the right channel for stereo recording and the microphone 6 or 7 is set as the left channel, or the sound of the microphones 6 and 7 is synthesized to realize stereo recording as the left channel (step 118). Similarly, when recording in a posture rotated 90 ° clockwise from the posture shown in FIG. 1A, the monaural microphone 5 is set as the left channel of stereo recording and 6 or 7 is set as the right channel, or the microphone 6 And 7 are combined to realize stereo recording as the right channel. Such stereo recording ends when the recording end is operated by the switch 4 (step 120). On the other hand, the posture detection means 10 continuously monitors the posture of the digital camera 1 and returns to step 110 if there is a posture change during recording (step 122).

  Hereinafter, a digital camera 1A according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 4, the same members as those in FIG. 4 (a) corresponds to FIG. 1 (a), FIG. 4 (b) corresponds to FIG. 1 (b), and FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4 (a). The digital camera 1A is different from the digital camera 1 in that microphones 6 and 7 are provided in a stereo microphone unit 15 that is detachable from the digital camera 1A.

As shown in FIG. 5, the stereo microphone unit 15 has a pair of bosses 16 and an insertion portion 17. The digital camera 1 </ b> A has a pair of recesses 8 and an insertion port 9 into which the stereo microphone 15 can be attached and detached. The depressions 8 are provided on the left and right sides of the insertion port 9 and engage with the bosses 16 provided on both sides of the insertion portion 17 of the stereo microphone unit 15 to prevent the stereo microphone unit 15 from rotating. Moreover, the dent 17a provided in the insertion part 17 is fitted to a click part (not shown) in the insertion port 9, thereby preventing the drop.
In addition, rotation prevention and fall prevention are not limited to the boss | hub 16 and the recessed part 17a, A nail | claw, an adhesive tape, electricity, magnetism, etc. may be sufficient.

  When the stereo microphone unit 15 is not attached to the insertion port 9, recording is started using the monaural microphone 5 when a recording start is input by the switch 4. Further, when the stereo microphone unit 15 is attached to the insertion port 9, when the monaural recording or the stereo recording is selected and the stereo recording is performed as described with reference to FIGS. The optimum recording can be performed while switching the microphone to be used according to the posture of the main body.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various change and deformation | transformation are possible within the range of the summary.

1 is a schematic perspective view of an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the imaging device shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It is a schematic perspective view of the modification of the imaging device shown in FIG. It is the elements on larger scale of the imaging device shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging device 1a Surface 5 Monaural microphones 6 and 7 Stereo microphone 10 Posture detection means 11 and 13 Processing circuit 15 Stereo microphone unit

Claims (7)

An imaging device for imaging a subject,
A first voice input unit for inputting voice in monaural;
Two second audio input units for inputting audio in stereo;
The first and second voice input units are arranged on the same plane, and a straight line connecting the two second voice input units, one of the first voice input unit, and one of the two second voice input units, An imaging apparatus characterized by being substantially orthogonal to a straight line connecting the two. Detecting means for detecting a posture of the imaging device;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a synthesizing unit that synthesizes inputs of the two second audio input units according to a detection result of the detection unit. Detecting means for detecting a posture of the imaging device;
Depending on the detection result of the detection means, stereo recording is performed by the second audio input unit, or the first audio input unit is combined with one of the second audio input units as one channel for stereo recording. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting whether to record in stereo.   The selection means selects, when the detection means detects that the image pickup apparatus is in a normal posture, to make a stereo recording by the second audio input unit, and the image pickup apparatus is in a normal posture. If it is detected that the posture is rotated by approximately 90 °, the first audio input unit is selected as one channel for stereo recording and is selected for stereo recording in combination with one of the second audio input units. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3.   And a synthesizing unit that synthesizes the inputs of the two second audio input units when the detecting unit detects that the imaging apparatus is in a posture rotated by approximately 90 ° with respect to a normal posture. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4.   6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two second audio input units are formed in a stereo microphone unit that is detachably attached to the imaging apparatus. An imaging apparatus for imaging a subject, comprising: a first audio input unit that inputs sound in monaural; and two second audio input units that input sound in stereo; the first and second The voice input unit is disposed on the same plane, and the straight line connecting the two second voice input units and the straight line connecting the first voice input unit and one of the second voice input units are substantially orthogonal to each other. A recording method using a device,
A first step of determining an attitude of the imaging device;
Depending on the attitude of the imaging device determined in the first step, the second audio input unit performs stereo recording, or the first audio input unit is used as one channel for stereo recording. And a second step of selecting whether to perform stereo recording in combination with one of the input units.